IN FOURTEEN months police have confiscated P272 million worth of marijuana plants in Toledo City and Balamban town in Cebu alone.
Cebu Police Provincial Office (CCPO) Director Roderick Mariano said that uprooting 600,000 marijuana plants is one of the successes of the Cebu’s anti-drug campaign.
Mariano said from January to December 2019, CCPO confiscated a total of P234 million worth of marijuana plants and P38 million for the first two months of 2020.
On Feb. 12, 2020, P4 million worth of marijuana plants were uprooted in Barangay Sunog, Balamban.
A certain Narciso Sorilla was identified as the one who planted the marijuana, but he was not around when the operation was conducted.
The CCPO director thanked the public and barangay officials for providing information on the presence of marijuana plantations.
He said these plantations are located in hills that are difficult to reach and away from residential areas.
Most of the operations against marijuana plantations in Cebu province were conducted by the Provincial Mobile Force Company, Balamban Police Station and the Naval Forces Central.
“Karamihan dito sa Balamban area at sa Toledo na boundary ng Balamban. Ang area kasi nito ito yung medyo mataas at malamig so kadalasan dyan nag tatanim sa mga malalamig na lugar. Pangalawa mahirap puntahan itong mga areas na ito (The plantations are mostly located at the boundaries of Balamban and Toledo City. Marijuana thrives in these high elevation areas that have cold weather. Also, these are remote places),” Mariano said.
Meanwhile, the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) has suggested legalizing the use of marijuana as a cure to people suffering from epilepsy following a recent study released by the World Health Organization.
Mariano supports the suggestion, but the government has to study the measure carefully on who is allowed to use marijuana to prevent substance abuse.
“Dapat malaman natin kung sino lang yung authorized ng Dangerous Drugs Board na magtanim na magtanim. Hindi pwede na lahat ay magtanim. (Only those who are authorized by the Dangerous Drugs Board can plant marijuana. Not everyone can do it),” Mariano said. (AYB / MVG )